Means for moving and storing lumber



June 15 1926. 1,588,949

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R. Z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER Filed April 5 1924 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 R. z.. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND S' IORING LUMBER June 15 1926. 1,588,949

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1,588,949 R. z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER Filed April 5, 1924 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 unnu-I-I- L [Em June 15 1926.

R. Z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed April 5 I June 15 1926.

R. Z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER Filed April 5 1924 14 Sheets-Sheet 11 June 15 1926.

R. Z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER l4 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed April 5, 1924 R, Z. DTARE June 15 1926.

R. z. D RAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER Filed April 5 14 Sheets-Sheet, 13

June 15 ,1926. 1,588,949

M R. z. DRAKE MEANS FOR MOVING AND STORING LUMBER Filed April 5, 1924 14 Sheets-Sheet l & 1

rgnfiznto'z i R Z. Drake.

Patented June 15, 1926.

warren STATES aonnnr z. DRAKE, OE OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

mrss ar- W NG nn eamus L MB Application filedApril 5, 1924, Serial No. 794,458.

cent to each other in, a seasoning house, a

vehicle or car on a tracl; provided with hoisting mechanism includingscrews or.

carrier-bars having hooks or shoes for receiving the lumber and being vertically movable for disposing it between the hanger-bars of the adjacently disposed sec; tions, and thereby providing vertical passageways for a movement of air for, facilitating seasoning, a horizontal; lumber-car- I'lGl' being provided and preferably con sisting of a, pair? of movable ropes or cables for conducting said lumber into the seasoning house for delivery to the vertically movable carrier-bars or screws of the hoistinp; mechanism.

In order vthat the lumber may be speedily moved and stored witl'r a minimum amount of manual labor and that decreased weight and the proper color may be had, and that bending, warping, checking or cracking of the lumber may be prevented while seasoning is progressing, and: that the lumber, when seasoned, may have a greater strength than usual, I provide certain specific features found tobe of great advantage, one being an automatically operative latch mounted in a casing); and adapted to sustain the weight of the lumber between the sections while the carrier-bars move additional lumber upwardly; also adjustable locking means for connecting the hanger-bars of a section in stationary relation with the cas ings oi the latches for preventing vibration; also means for reinforcing each hanger-bar that it will remain rigid and will resist transverse stresses; also it specifically includes, horizontal, vertically movable spreader-strips and. tie-bars for pneventinig vibration and maintaining the hanger-bars of the several sections in uuitormly spaced relation; and includes longitudinally adjustable skid-plates automatically operative for elevating: or releasing the sawed lumber rem the horizontal. carrier while liit advantage in instances adjacent to the screws orcarrier-bars, ready to beelevated; Another spec fic ob ect includes means automatically operativetoter- Inmate any further downward movement of thes r ar e -ba aft r h r 611 ,65 1

hool rs are disposed in a position ready to receive a plankor planlrsto beelevated.

W ith the foregoing objects in view and I others to be mentioned hereinafter, the invention presents a novel and, useful construction, combination and arrangement of" parts, asdescribed herein and claimed, and illustrated in, the. accompanyingv drawings, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made, said changes being determined, by the scope ofthe invention as claimed,

In the drawings whieh illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Fig.1, is a view showing a par of a seasoning house in transverse section, together with lumber hoisting mechanism, also showing the reinforced hanger-bars of a section, pair; of horizontal spreader-strips, and adjustingrods. Fig. 2 is a view of parts taken at right-angles to the view shown in Fig. 1, lumber being shown in loaded position between some of the sections. Fig, 3 is a broken away, plan view showing the seasoninghouse and hanger-bars in section and showing the horizontally movable carrier, the car frame and skid-plates. Fig, l is a plan view oi the hoisting mechanism and the. car frame. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views relating to Fig.8, Fig f) a sectional view on line 5,5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a side view of a box providing bearings for the shaft of one of the transversely movable triction rollers. Fig]? is an end view of the box shown in Fig. 6. 8 is a broken away side view of the can Fig. 9, is an enlarged view in transverse section through a, hanger-bar and its brackets.

Fig. 10 is a side view of a hand-lever for moving the car. Fig. 1.1 is a view, partly in section, of an adjusting-rod. Fig. 12 is aside view, partly in section showing an automatically operative. latch and its housing. also illustrating relative positions of a vertically movable rhubar or screw and one of the dogs. Fig. 13 is a view, partly in section, to illustrate the mounting of a screw or carrier-bar. Fig. 14 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a detail illustrating reinforced hanger-bars and their tie-bars. Fig. 16 is a view of a hanger-bar taken at right-angles to a hanger bar shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a detail relating to Fig. 4, to show a lug for engaging in a slot of a screw or carrier-bar.

Fig. 18 is a view, partly in section, show ing the side of a skid and a dog. Fig. 19 is a plan view of a bracket or holder for the adjustable belt of an apertured couplingplate shown in Fig. 23. Fig. 20 is a plan view of a rock-bar or stop-member. Fig. 21 is a side view of the holder shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 22 is an end view of the rock-bar shown in Fig. 20. Fig. 23 is a side view of an apertured couplingplate, its staple and its bolt. Fig. 24 is a side view of the rock-bar shown in Fig. 20, a connecting-bolt being shown engaging in a block which is secured to a pair of links. Fig. 25 is a plan view of the apertured couplingplate and staple shown in Fig. 26. Fig. 26 is a broken away detail to illustrate relative positions of the rock-bar shown in Fig. 24 and the apertured coupling-plate shown in Fig. 28. Fig. 27 is a plan view, partly in section, to clearly illustrate the arrangement of apertures in the parallel cable-supports for receiving the pawl-rods of the car frame.

F ig. 28 illustrates a truss and air ducts for the seasoning house, being an end view. Fig. 29 shows a bracket having an aperture of inverted cone-shape. Figs. 30 and 31 are end views of spreader-strips. Fig. 32 is a broken away side view, on an enlarged scale, showing a part of the wall frame for the seasoning house. Fig. 33 is an enlarged detail, being a section on line 3333 of Fig. 28. Fig. 34 shows a girder-clamp and its mounting. Fig. 35 is an end view of the clamp shown in Fig. 34. Fig. 36 is a side view of a spacer-block. Figs. 87, S8 and 89 are edgewise views illustrating spacer-blocks differing in thickness. 40 shows a modified form for a girder-clamp. Fig. 41 is an end view, partly in section, of the clamp shown in Fig. 40. F ig. 42 is a detail showing the use of a handheld or door-lateh. Fig. 43 is a plan view and Fig. 44 a side view of a double-leaf hinge. Fig. 45 is a plan view of the door-latch and part of a door.

Fig. 46 is a plan view of a set-ring, a carrier-bar or screw being shown in transverse section. Fig. 47 is a side view of the setring shown in Fig. 46. Fig. 48 is a broken. away side view of a car irame showing parts thereon for terminating an upward sliding movement for the carrier-bars or screws. Figs. 49, 50, 51 and 52 are detail views relating to Figs. 48 and 58. Fig. 49 is a plan View of a rock-lever. Fig. 50 shows an upright actuating-bolt secured to a pair oi links, the latter being in section. Fig. 51 is a side view of the rocklever shown in Fig. 49, and Fig. 52 is an end view of the same. Fig. 53 is a broken away end view of the car frame showing parts thereon for terminating an upward movement for the carrierbars or screws.

As a matter of convenience, the sawed lumber to be mentioned herein is shown and described as planks, but by changing the proportions of some of the parts, other kinds of lumber may be moved and stored.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, numeral 1 indicates av seasoning house for sawed lumber, the planks 2 being conducted therein upon a carrier designated herein as cables 3, movable upon parallel carrier-supports 4 and 4, said cables being moved by any suitable means. At 5 is indicated the frame of a car adapted to be moved on a track 6 by means of hand-lever 7 which is mounted on a car-axle 8; and by means of a hand-lever 9 the car may be maintained in stationary relation vith the supports 4 and 4, the respective ends of a pawl-rod 10 being adapted to engage in apertures 11 and 11 in alternation, and the respective ends of a pawl-rod 10 also being adapted to en age in apertures Z3 11 and 11 in alternation, these apertures being formed in these respective supports at longitudinal intervals thereof, the apertures 11 (Fig. 27) being disposed in planes midway between apertures 11.

Numerals 12 indicate upright hanger-bars which are secured at their upper ends to a pair of parallel girde 13 disposed. in the upper part of the seasoning house, said bars havin a ing formed convergent at their lower ends to permit sawed lumber to be readily conducted upwardly therebetween, and being reinforced at two opposed sides by metallic strips 14, s. id strips 14 for each hanger-bar, near its lower end, having opposed brackets 15 provided with apertru'ed projections 16, 16, 17 and 1. the result, on account of the reinforcement mentioned being that these bars will resist bending stresses directed thereto.

The hanger-bars 12 may have any mounting in the girders 13 adequate fo sup porting the weight of the lumber, and are disposed at multiple distances apart, depending upon the thickness of the lumber to be stored between the sections 0. (Figs. 1, 3,) of said hanger-bars, said sections a being disposed approximately at right-angles to the movable cables o. l Vhile 1 have shown and prefer only two of these hanger-bars for a section a, a greater number may be employed if desired.

Numerals 18 indicate tie-bars of approxi mately inverted U-shape, adapted to engage suitable suitable length and, preferably, be-

and will sustain Y loo in the apertures of the projections 16 and 16 of the hanger-bars of two adjacent sections a for maintaining the lower ends of the hanger-bars of said sections in uniformly spaced relation.

On account of the construction described it will be understood that when planks are'disposed between the sections a the sides of the planks will cooperate to form vertical passageways, each passageway having a width corresponding; to the thickness of a hanger bar, so that air may move therethrough for absorbing moisture to advantage;

The sawed planks are moved upwardly from the cables 3 and are disposed between the hanger bars of two adjacent sections a by means of a pair 01 carrier-bars or reversely threaded screws 19 which donot rotate, but are adapted to have vertical, sliding movements on the car by means of a pair of i-nteriorly-tln'eadcd sleeves 20 (Fig; 13), each bar 19 being provided, longitudi nally, with a slot 21' for receiving a'lug 22 formed in a plate 23, as best shown in Fig; 17 of the drawings, each bars 19' at its upper end being provided with a shoe or hook 24 adapted'to receive a plank and to have swinging moven'ients from a pivot-pin b.

Numerals 25 indicate a pair of latch-bars, each being disposed in a casing 26- and having anupwardly divergent bearing-face c projecting outwardly of the casing, as best shown in Figs. 12 and 1 1, said latch-bars being normally swungoutwardly and maintainedin a vertical plane between two adjacently disposed sections a by any suitable means, the means herein shown being weights 27' adjustably mounted on the arms 6 of said latch-bars; and in the operation of loading, the car is first maintained stationary by use of the pawl-rods 10 and 10, and the hooks or shoes 24. being disposed in the horizontal plane of the cables and the planks thereon, the two pairs of tie-bars 18, above the hooks, are then removed, and a plank is moved by said cable into engagement with said hooks.

The carrier-bars will then conduct the plank upwardly, the hooks and plank, on

moving upwardly, being swung rearwardly.

by action of gravity, saidpl'ank then being conducted above the latch-bars, and during its upward movement engaging the parts 0, and thereby causing the latch-bars to swing inwardly ot the casing, and it will then be understood that when the carrier-bars move downwardly the plank will remain above the latch-bars and will be supported by them, said latch-bars being swung outwardly of the casing 26 by operation of the weights 27 as soon as the plank has been conducted to a point above said latch-bars; and thereafter a second plank may be elevated, its upper edge engaging the lower edge'otthe first named plank; andthe operation as de:

scribedinay continue until theloading of the loadiuntil the tieba-rs have connected said members 16 and 16.

The car is then moved a limited distance on the track by use of the hand-lever 7, and is ag 'n disposed stationary by use of the hand-lever 9 for moving the pawlrods 10 and" 10, and the operation may continue for loading other sections.

It will be understood that the transversestresses directed to the hanger bars will be very great, and therefore spreader-strips .28 and'29 are employed, and are disposed between the hanger-bars or the several sections 0;, the-width of said strips corresponding to the thickness of the lumber which is stored between any sections a, the end-portions of said strips 28 being disposed upon stationary ledges r wall-supports 30, and the end-portions of the strips 29 being supported above the supports 30 upon stationary ledges or supports 31, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and it .is obvious that the use of the strips 28 and 29 tend to maintain the hanger-bars of the several sectionswrz equi-distant from each other.

In the operation of. loading, when the planks are conducted upwardly in succession between a pair of the sections-a, the uppermost plank will first engage a spreaden strip 28, and said strip will be movedupwardly during said loadinguntil it engages the strip 29', and when the loading between said pair of adjacent sections a has been completed, both of said spreader strips will be disposed" in contactingrelation with each other at or near the top of the seasoning house; and it will be seen that when the planks between any two adjacent sections a are unloadedlby permitting the planks to slide downwardly between said sections, the spreader-strips will be returned by reason of their own weight to their. respective supports or ledges, inasmuchas said strips 28 have a lesser length than either the length of strips 29 or a lesser length than the dis tance between the two ledges 31, and the distance between the supports 31 being greater than the distance between the said supports 30, they will, as stated, then return to their respective ledges.

It will be appreciated that the use of the tie-bars and spreader-strips are important so that seasoning may be practically uniform and that warping or bending of the lumber, while becoming seasoned may be avoided, and it will be understood that the hangen bars of the sections a in all parts of the seasoning-house should be maintained in some fixed relation with each other whether loaded or empty; also it will be noted that the two pairs of tie-bars 18 which connect the hanger-bars of a pair of adjacent sections a must be removed before lumber is moved upwardly therebetween, in the operation of loading, and therefore the adjusting-rods 32 and 33, best shown in Figs. 3 and 11, are employed and arranged in pairs, each having a hook for engaging in an apertured ledge 3t, and having a hook 5/ for engaging in an aperture of a projection 17.

The rods 32 are preferably disposed atright-angles to the cables 3, and the rods 33 are disposed in angular relation to the rods 32 so that adjustments may be made for eitl er preventing or causing any desired moven'ient of the hanger-bars, either transversely or longitudinally of the seasoning house, each rod 33 ano 32, as best shown in Fig. 11, preterabl being of tubular con struction and having inner endportions reversely threaded for receiving the hooks f and g which also are threaded to correspond to the threaded, inner end portions of rods 32 and 33. It will be understood that it the rods are rotated in one direction while mounted in operative positions the distance between their respective hooks f and 9 will be decreased, and that it rotated in a reverse direction the distance between said hooks will be increased; and by reason of this construction it will be noted that several movements may be effected tor the hanger-bars, :tor instance, both rods 32 and 33 may be rotated in the same direction for increasing the distance between their respective hooks f and g and bothv may be rotated in. a direction 'everse to the direction last named tor decreasing the distance between their r spective hooks; also the rod 32 of a pair may be rotated in a direction to increase the distance between its terminal books, the rod 33 t the same pair being rotated in, a. direction for decreasing the distance between its terminal hooks; and the rod 32 of pair may be rotated in a direction for decreasing the distance between its hooks, the rod 33 being rotated for increasing the distance between its terminal hooks. Said hooks and when used in pairs, shown in Pig. 3 of the drawings, permit adjustments to be made, as above outlined, for maintaining the hangerbars oi the sections a in stationary relatio nrelative to each other, and for preventing or causing a swinging movement oi one hanger-bar ot a section relative to another. The wheel best shown in Fig 11 is mounted in stationary relation upon either rod 32 or 33, as a matter of convenience, for rotating said rods in either direction.

By referring to Figs. 12 and 1d of the drawings it will be seen that the casings 26, together with their latch-bars 25, may be adjusted longitudinally of the car Frame 5, one obj cct in view being to dispose the outwardly projecting parts of the latch-bars in such positions that they may be engaged by the moving planks, and may sustain the weight oi the planks when elevated and while the carrier-bars 19 are moving downwardly.

Each casing 26 is adapted to have a sliding movement in a box or housing 36 which is stationary with the frame 5, each casing being moved by means of a screw 37 which is threaded in the blocks 38 of the casing, said screw being rotated by any suitable means for this purpose.

()n account of the construction as described, lumber may be moved and stored rapidly, each vertical reciprocation of the screws 19 requiring but a few seconds of time, the cables 3 having a continuous movement during operation for conducting the planks to the hooks.

Means are provided for preventing any movement, for a short interval, of certain planks on the cables, said means being operative just before a plank to be elevated enters the hooks J t, and operating, auto matically, to elevate and thereby release the said certain planks from the cables, the objcct in view being to prevent a contact 01' any plank with the plank which has entered the hooks 24 and to prevent a contact of any plank with the screws or carrier-bars 1.).

The means last mentioned for a stop movement of planks consist, in part, of a pair of skid-plates 39 having a mounting at one of their ends to permit; them to swing upon a rod is engaging in posts 4-0 of the frame 5, the opposite ends of these skids being disposed adjacent to the screws 1-). Numerals 4-1' indicate a pair of rock-levers or dogs, each having a suitable pivotal mounting m and provided with a catch or stop-member u and having one of its ends engaging in a recess 79 (Fig. 18), said recesses 7) being formed in the skid-plates 39, the opposite end of each dog being disposed in the vertical plane of a pivot-pin 7) of fl screw 19; and during operation, when the screws 19 move downwardly the pins 72 will engage the dogs to cause coincident, swinging movements thereof, the skid-plates 39 being swung upwardly for disengaging the. planks from the cables 3, and thereby preventing the planks thereon trom engaging or interfering with the screws or with the plank which, at that time, has been or is about to be received by the books 24:, readv to be elevated. It will be understood, of course, that more than one plank may enter the books 2% and may be elevated by the upward movement of the screws or carrierbars, depending upon their width, the proportions for the hooks being such that a plank of considerable width or a plurality lessees of planks of limited width may enter said hooks. ly referri g to Figs. 12, 1d and 18 it will seen that'the ends of the skidplates, at the will of an operator, maybe disposed a sufficientdistance from the screws to permit a single plank or such number of planks as his) be desired, to engage and be moved by the cables into the hooks 24-.

The pivot pins .72, by the downward movement of the SC1E\ s, are moved into engage inent with the dogs, and it will be 'UfitlGY- stood that said fOI'QlIlOSt plank or planks, after being moved into the'hooks 24, or a plurality or planks of limited width enterii'ig said books by the moving cables 8, will be conducted upwardly by the upward sliding ino-veii'ients of the screws 19, and that the upward n'ioveinents of said screws perwit a reverse swinging movement of the dogs and the skid-plates. The stopn'ieinber it operates to prevent a further movement of the planks toward the screws until the latter slide downwardly for another engagement of the pivot-pins Z; with the dogs, the operation as described for a. control of the movements of the lumber being automatic in all respects, the pivot-pins 7) causing the dogs to swing in one direction, and the weig'l'it of the skids and lumber thereon causing, the dogs to swingin a reverse direc tion.

in order that vertical reciprocation of the screws 19 may be provided, mechanism is used consisting, in part, of a pair of driven shafts l2 and 43 adapted to be roiated in reverse directions, these shafts havinp; bearings for their inner ends upon the car frame, the outer endof the shaft 12 having hearings in a box it adapted to be moved, and the outer end of the shaft 13 having bearii is in a movable box 4-5. At l6 is indicated a friction roller which is mounted on the shaft d2, and a friction roller l? is mounted on the shaft 13.

Un the our frame is a sleeve-supporting yoke 48 of approximately inverted lJ-sha-pe, each yoke being suitably secured to the car twine and having a part disposed ina plane between the shafts 4:2 and At 49 is iniilicated an idler shaft having bi-iarings for its ends in the yolrcs and provided with a pair of n'iiter gear wheels 50, and a friction roller 51, the latter being disposed between the friction rollers lG and 17.

i hunerals 52 indicate a pair of miter gears. each being mounted upon a sleeve 20 and l'iaving bearings in a yoke 4:8 and ening a iuiter gear wheel 50, and each ier gear wheel is secured to a sleeve 20 by any suitable means, by a key 3 (Fig. 18), and it will be understood that when the idler shaft- -'l9 is rotated in one direc tion, the interiorly tlilQtHlt-Ll sleeves 20 will be rotated for elevating the screws 19, any

rotatable inoveinent of the screws being" prevented by the lugs 22 which engage in the slots 21 thereof, a rotation in a reverse direction of the idler shaft causing downward sliding" n'ioveine'nts of the screws.

At 53 and 54 are indicated pulleys which are mounted upon the respective shafts 42 and 48, and by use of a cable 55, inovable by any suitable lil8-t1l1S,tl1GSQ shafts and the friction rollers thereon may rotate in reverse directions, said cable, as shown in Fig. l, engaging the upper part of one and the lower part of the other pulley mentioned. Any suitable means may be provided for causing limited, coincident transverse movieinents, horizontally, of the shafts 42 and 13 to cause one of the rollers or l7 ,"to engage the friction roller 51, the means-herein shown eonsisting, in part, of a pair of upright rock-levers 56 and 67 having pivotal connections for their lower ends upon the frame 5, their upper ends being pivotally connected by links 58, said levers being adapted to have coincident swinging move ments in the same direction by use of a haiid-lever 59; At: 60 (Fig. *is indicated a link pivotally connecting the lever '56 with the box 14; and a link 61 (Fig. 8) pivotally connects the lever 57 with the box 45, each box being slidingly mounted on a core 62 (Figs. 5, 7) which is stationary with the frame 5, and it will be understood that a liinited inoveinent of the hand lever 59 in a downward direction will cause engagement of the friction roller d7 of the shaft 43 with the friction roller 51 of the idler shaft 49 for rotating said shaft 19 in one'direetion, the friction roller 46 being disengaged coincidently from the friction roller 51;ahd3it is obviousthat'the' idler shaft may be r0- tated in a reverse direction by use of said hand-lever 59 since an 'upv'vard movement of said hand-lever will'cause engagement of the roller 16 with roller 5l,-'the roller l? being moved out of engagement with said roller 51.

Numeral 63 indicates an intake or discharge-port for .air, and at Set is indicated a fan forcausing a circulation of air which may move in the vertical passageways between the sections a for absorbing moisture from the lumber.

I It will be noted that a single operator, by use of the hand-levers 7, 9, and 59 may .perform practically all of the work necessary for the movement and storageof lumber placed on the cables 3, other operations, for the most part being automatic, it being understood that two pairs of tie-bars18 inns" be removed which connect. the hanger-bars of two adjacentsections a to permit the lumber to be elevated therebetween, said tie-bars, of course, being reepiired to be replaced, manually, after the lumber has been elevated or stored between said sections, the

rods 82 and 33 requiring practically no attention after they have been adjusted.

In some instances it is desirable to secure the casings 26 to the hanger-bars of a section a adjacent to said casings, especially when unusually large or heavy lumber is to be stored, and any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, the means herein described and best shown in Figs. 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26 of the drawings, consisting of aperture-d coupling-plates 65 and staples 00, said staples being adapted to engage in the apertures of said plates and in the apertures of the projections of brackets 15 of the hanger-bars, each plate being mounted pivotally on a terminal part 7 of .a screw-bolt 66, the latter being threaded in a holder 67 adapted to be secured to a casing 26; and by rotating the bolts 66, the apertured plates may be caused to advance or retreat for suitable engagement of the staples in the apertures of the plates and in said apertured projections of the brackets 15. In this connection it should be stated that the projections at the opposed sides of the hangerbars are similar, respectively considered, this being a matter of convenience when assembling the parts in .a seasoning house.

By referring to Figs. 2 and 18 of the drawings it will be seen that the skid-plates 39 are provided at one of their ends with recesses or notches opening on their lower sides for receiving the rod it, and therefore the skids may be adjusted longitudinally to dispose their opposite ends nearer to or further from the carrier-bars or screws 19, this selected distance depending upon the width of the sawed lumber to be moved and loaded in the seasoning house, the operation of parts, as explained, permitting the fore most plank or planks disposed forwardly of the ends of the skids 39 to engage the stopmember a, the remaining planks being elevated above the cables and, therefore, remaining stationary until the carrier-bars, together with said foremost plank or planks, move upwardly and until said carrier-bars have moved downwardly to normal position.

lVhile members 4 and 4 have been designated as parallel supports for the cables 3 and lumber carried by said cables, it should be explained that said members 4 and 4 or parts thereof are used in connection with the pawl-rods 10 and 10 for supporting the car frame 5 and for maintaining said car-frame in a stationary position while loading the lumber. By referring to Fig. 27 it will be seen that the apertures 11 in the supporting member or plate 4 are dis posed in non-alignment or non-aligning planes with the apertures 11 in the supporting-plate 4, the operation being that after the car frame has been moved on the track 6 adistance equal to the thickness of the sawed lumber to be stored plus the thickness of a hanger-bar, the hand-lever 9 may be moved in one direction, transversely of the car-frame to cause both of the pawlrods to move, one end of the pawl-rod 10 moving into an aperture 11 of the support 4 and one end of a pawl-rod 10 moving into an aperture 11 of a support 4, while the opposite end of pawl-rod 10 is disposed midway between two adjacent apertures 11 of the support 4, and the opposite end of pawlrod 10 being disposed midway between two adjacent apertures 11 of the support 4, both of the pawl-rods remaining in the po sitions mentioned until the planks have been elevated and stored between the hangerbars of a section a.

Both of the pawl-rods are then noved by a reverse, swinging movement of the hand lever 9 so that the car frame 5 may be moved a distance above mentioned, at which time a further swinging movement of the handlever 9 in the direction last mentioned will cause the pawl-rods which before were disposed in non-aligning positions with any apertures, to engage in apertures for maintaining the car in a stationary position. The pivotal mounting for the hand-lever 9 is indicated at t.

It is, of course desirable that the planks, during their upward movements, should move in a vertical plane in the space between two adjacent sections a, and it will be appreciated that the adjustment of parts should be accurate in such a degree that the planks, while moving upwardly should not be pressed transversely against the hanger-bars of one section a in a degree greater than the pressure against the hangerbars of the adjacent section a forming the space in which the planks move. However, since there may be an unequal pressure, it is important and quite necessary that the apertures 11 and 11 be correctly formed and that the pawl-rods shall be of suitable proportion and of strong construction to resist stresses which may be directed to them; also, for the same reason, it is important that the material between the apertures ll 'of the support 4 and apertures 11 of the support 4 shall be of such size and quality that it will withstand the strain.

Under these last named conditions, then, it will be apparent that the movement of the car frame 5 would, with other than the device here presented, be equal to one-half the diameter of two apertures plus the width of the material between any two adjacent apertures; thus then compelling the placing the car at times, in such position that the plane of the plank being elevated could not be close to the plane between the sections in which it was desired to place them; whereas, by use of the principle of having the opposite ends of the same pawl-rod respectively come in line with an aperture at the one end 

